Device for controlling the continuous transfer of powdered materials



y 1965 v MASUO HOSOKAWA 3,193,153

DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE CONTINUOUS TRANSFER OF POWDERED MATERIALS Filed Sept. 24, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVE TOR M300 0.)" 0/54/14! United States Patent 3,193,153 DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE CONTINU- OUS TRANFER 0F POWDERED MATERHALS Masuo Hosolsawa, 6 Toyonalra-Hondori Z-chcme, Toyonaka-shi, Osaka-in, Japan Filed Sept. 24, 1963, er. No. 311,248 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-199) This invention relates to control devices for the transfer and metering of powdered materials and more specifically to a novel and improved control which may be readily adjusted to modify the rate of delivery of powdered materials and to handle powdered materials of different physical characteristics and which aifords means to control the density of those materials which may have quantities of air entrapped therein.

Known means for controlling the transfer of powdered materials from a suitable supply to a receiver have utilized such devices as hopper gates, mechanical vibrators and the like. These devices have not afforded the smoothness and degree of control desirable in many applications, and in many cases, known devices often produce lumps or intermix large amounts of air. When air is intermixed with the powdered material, the weight per unit volume is materially reduced and this adversely affects any process wherein powdered substances are to be mixed in predetermined volumetric ratios.

Other known devices have suggested structures to minimize both the formation of lumps and the intermixture of air with the material. While such devices have afforded a certain improvement in the handling of powdered materials, they have not been found satisfactory. For instance, known devices do not provide adequate means for the control of flow, nor do they provide means for modifying and controlling the weight per unit volume of the material delivered.

This invention overcomes the disadvantages of known devices and provides a novel and improved powdered material control which is characterized by its simplicity, means for continuously varying the rate of flow of the powdered material and means for controlling the density of such material.

A still further object of the invention resides in a novel and improved control for powdered materials utilizing a vibrating element in association with annular valving means engaging the element and a peripheral wall over which powdered material passing through the valve is discharged and wherein said element, valving means and peripheral wall are adjustable to control the rate of flow and the density of the material being discharged.

Another object of the invention resides in a novel and improved control valve for powdered materials that may be readily and easily adjusted to modify the rate of flow and wherein means are included to determine the density of the material being discharged through the outlet.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings forming part of this application.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view of a control device in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of supporting and vibrating means forming part of the valve shown in FIGURE 1.

' FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of another em.- bodiment of a powdered material control valve in accordance with the invention.

Broadly, the valve in accordance with the invention includes a generally cylindrical body forming the powdered material inlet and having a telescoped skirt which 3,193,153 Patented July 6, 1965 is adjustable lengthwise at the lower end of the body. Beneath the skirt is a plate or saucer-like element which cooperates with the skirt to form valving means. The skirt is vibrated vertically and oscillated annularly in a horizontal plane, and means are provided for vertically positioning the skirt relative to the plate. The invention further includes a peripheral wall surrounding the plate, with the height of the wall above the surface of the plate being adjustable to control the density of the material passing over the wall and discharged through the outlet.

More specifically and with reference to FIGURES 1 and 2, the valve in accordance with the invention includes a generally cylindrical body 1 having a flange 2 on the upper end thereof for attachment to a suitable source of supply such as a tube, funnel-type hopper, or the like. The lower end of the body 1 has a cylindrical skirt 3 slidably carried thereby having a sharpened portion 4 on the bottom edge and a peripheral outwardly extending flange adjoining the upper edge.

An outer casing generally denoted by the numeral 7 surrounds the skirt 3 and a portion of the body 1. The bottom part of easing 7 forms a funnel-like outlet 8 terminating in a flange 9 for attachment to suitable receiving means. The upper portion of the casing 7 includes a generally cylindrical wall 10 which is fixedly secured to the funnel portion 8. The upper end of the wall 10 carries an annular element comprising a pair of vertically spaced ring-like walls 11 and 12 and a vertical connecting Wall 11'. This annular element forms in effect a lid for the casing '7, and the annular wall or ring 12 closely fits the outer wall of the body 1. The body 1 further includes an annular flange 13 spaced below the flange 2, and the flange 13 is secured to the annular wall 12 by a plurality of bolts 14 which secure the annular wall 12 in spaced relationship to the flange 13. The funnel 8, the cylindrical wall 10 and the lid portion comprising elements 11, 11 and 12 are all secured one to the other by a plurality of bolts 10'.

A ring gear 16 having teeth on the inner wall thereof is rotatably carried in the gap between the annular wall or flange 12 and the flange 13. The gear teeth 17 mesh with pinions 15 also carried within the space between the flanges 12 and 13, and the pinions are threadably carried on elongated rods 6 having screw threads 19 meshing with cooperating screw threads within the pinions 15. Each rod 6 is rotatably carried within cooperating openings in the flanges 12 and 13 and are secured at their lower ends to the flange 5 at the top end of the skirt 3. The ring gear 16 is further provided with at least one outwardly extending handle 18 to facilitate rotation of the ringfgear 16 and corresponding rotation of the pinions 15 to raise and lower the skirt 3.

A plate or disc 26, disposed beneath the skirt 3, is supported by means of spring-like elements 24 and 25 secured to a bottom or base plate 21, the latter being supported by arms 20 extending inwardly from the inner face of the funnel portion 8. The base plate 21 in the instant embodiment of the invention has a shallow upwardly extending peripheral wall and carries an E-shaped yoke 22 of magnetic material with a coil 23 disposed about the center leg of the yoke. This is shown more clearly in FIGURE 2. The supports 24 and 25 are disposed on opposite sides of the yoke 22 and are inclined in mutually opposite directions. The lower ends 24a and 25a of the spring supports 24 and 25 are secured to the base plate 21, while the upper ends 24b and 2512 are attached to the disc 26. A bar 28 of magnetic material is secured to the underside of the disc 26 and in normal spaced relationship to the upper edge of the yoke 22 to provide an air gap 27 therebetween.

With the foregoing arrangement and when the coil 23 is energized, the disc 26 at the same time willbe oscillated annular-1y in a horizontal plane.

In order, to, prevent the depositi'onof powdered lrna: terials in and about the air gap 27, the peripheral area between the disc 26 and the plate 21 is closed by a thin flexible band 29 secured in any suitable manner to provide a substantially dust-proof seal. I

In addition to the cooperation of the disc 26 with the skirt 3 which determines the rate of flow of the powdered material, the disc 26 is further provided with a peripheral wall 30 which slidably engages the periphery of the disc to permit vertical adjustment of the wall 30, but yet prewillrbe vibrated vertically and the wall 30 above the disc 26. With some substances, the height of the wall can be made relatively small, while in other cases, a greater heigh'tmay be required. As the height ofthe wall 30 is increased, the density of the vent powdered material from passing therebetween. The 7 cylindrical wall has a plurality of ears Slextending outwardlytherefrom and engaging bolts 32, the latter extending upwardly upwardly through the wall portion 11 of the outer casing 7.' By adjusting the nuts on the bolts 32, the wall '30 can be raised or lowered as desired.

With the invention as described above, thepowdered material is introduced into the cylindrical body 1 and, since the end portion 4 of the skirt 3 closely adjoins the disc 26, flow of powdered material through the outlet is interrupted. When energy is supplied 'to the coil 23, the disc 26 is vibrated vertically and angularly and imparts to the powdered substance a'degree of fluidity which enables it to flow through the gap freely. By adjusting the height of the skirt'3 by operation of the handles 18, the rate of flow of the material between the skirt and the disc can be controlled. In many adjusted positions of the skirt, a small gap exists between the skirt and the disc and even under such conditions powdered material will not flow through the gap unless the disc 26 is vibrated. The material flowing through the gap between the skirt 4 and the disc '26 passes outwardly by reason of centrifugal motion afforded by angular oscillation and then flows.

over the top of the wall 30 to'be dischargedthrough the funnel outlet 8.

Powdered materials often contain lumps of compressed material and it is important in measuring precise quantities of material that the lumps be broken up so that .all portionsof the material will have substantially uniform density. With the arrangement of elements in accordance with the invention, the powdered material must pass througha very'fine gap and, accordingly, the lumps must be; broken up in order forthe' material to pass through the gap. It has been found that the combination of ver- V defined by the'appended claims. I

powdered substance will increase if large amounts of air are entrapped therein. When the wall is lowered, smaller amounts of air will be expelled from the powdered substance. As pointed out previously, adjustment of the height of the wall 30 is accomplished by means of the adjusting bolts 32. r n

It is evident that other means may be employed for adjusting the height of the wall '30 above the disc 26 and an alternative structure is shown in FIGURE}. In this embodiment of the invention, the base plate 21 may be provided with ears 34 threadably carried by elongated threaded rods '35 having their upper'ends extending through the wall 11 .and having nuts 35 thereon. By rotating thenuts 35' on the rods 35, the base plate 21 and the disc .26 will be adjusted vertically relative to the wallet), the latter being fixedly secured to the housing by ribs 33.-

1 Whileonly certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is apparent that alterations, modifications and changes may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention'as What is claimed is: I w

1. A device for controlling continuous transfer of powdered materials comprising a tubular body having means on one end for introducing the material to be transferred, a disc adjoining the other end of said body, a peripheral wall surrounding said disc and extending in the direction of said tical and horizontal'vibration'of the disc 26feifects this end so that the-material, after passing through the gap, is of uniform consistency.

Many powdered materials tend to entrap large amounts of air with the result that the specific gravity (weight per unit volume) tends to decrease. This is particularly evident in powdered materials'suchas talc, calcium carbonate, Portland cement and'the'like. In order to expel entrapped air and effect control of the density of the powdered material, the powdered material is caused to accumulate about the skirt 3 until it attains a height sufiicient to overflow the wall 30. This will expel the air and deliver a powdered material of substantially uniform density through the outlet. j

By way ofillustration, powdered talc and heavy calcium carbonate can be transferred smoothly and continubody, means for adjusting the height of said wall relative to said disc, and means for vibrating said disc to cause the powdered materialto flow between said other end of the body and said disc and over the edge'of said peripheral wall.

2; A device for controlling continuous transfer of powdered materials comprising a tubular body having means on one end for introducing the material to be transferred, a disc adjoining the other end of said body, a peripheral wall surrounding said disc'and extending in the direction of said body, means for adjusting the height of said wall relative to said disc, and means for vibrating said disc for movement toward and away fromsaid body and for rotary oscillation in the plane of the disc to cause the'powdered material to flow between said "other end of the body and said disc and over the edge of said peripheral wall.

3. A device forc'ontrolling the continuous transfer of powdered materials comprising a tubular body having meanson one end for introducing the material to'be transferred, a disc in spaced relationship to the other end of said body, a skirt surrounding and slidably engaging the other end of said body and movabletoward and away. from said disc, meansattached to said skirt'for adjustably positioning it relative to .said disc, aperipheral wall surrounding said disc, means for adjusting the iheight ofsaid wall relative to said disc, and means for vibrating said disc to cause .powdered material to flow between said means vibrates said body in a path toward and away from ously from'the outlet of a bag filter or other supply with a device in accordance with the invention having the following approximate dimensions:

i Mm.

The specific gravity of weight per unit volume of the powdered substance can be controlled by the height of said skirt and at the same time effects rotary oscillation inthe plane of said disc.

V References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/56 :Hughes, 222-499 X FOREIGN PATENTS 907,131 10/62 Great Britain.

LOU-IS I DEMBO, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING CONTINUOUS TRANSFER OF POWDERED MATERIALS COMPRISING A TUBULAR BODY HAVING MEANS ON ONE END FOR INTRODUCING THE MATERIAL TO BE TRANSFERRED, A DISC ADJOINING THE OTHER END OF SAID BODY, A PERIPHERAL WALL SURROUNDING SAID DISC AND EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID BODY, MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE HEIGHT OF SAID WALL RELATIVE TO SAID DISC, AND MEANS FOR VIBRATING SAID DISC TO CAUSE THE POWDERED MATERIAL TO FLOW BETWEEN SAID OTHER END OF THE BODY AND SAID DISC AND OVER THE EDGE OF SAID PERIPHERAL WALL. 